02-Jun-2004
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Rovers Examining Hills And Crater In Bonus-Time Mission
Full Press Release
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A Hillside View
This image from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a forward-looking view of a portion of the "Columbia Hills." This portion features "Husband Hill" to the left, "West Spur" in the center, and a talus (rock debris) slope to the right. West Spur is Spirit's planned first stop at the hills. Husband Hill measures approximately 90 meters (295 feet) tall from the base of the hills to its highest peak. Even in this distant shot, taken on sol 135 (May 20, 2004) from approximately 0.7 kilometers (0.4 miles) away from the base of the hills, large boulders can be seen on the hillside. These boulders are of great interest to scientists, as they may reveal clues about how these hills formed.
Based on these and past observations of the hills in comparison to hills on Earth and other celestial bodies, scientists theorize that the Columbia Hills may be one or a combination of the following: a portion of an eroded old crater rim, a wrinkle ridge, the remnants of a former interior crater deposit, a central peak or a volcano.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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Hillside Boulders
This image from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a hillside portion of the "Columbia Hills." Scientists are interested in investigating the large boulders seen scattered on the hillside, as they may reveal clues about how these hills formed. This image was taken approximately 0.4 kilometers (0.25 miles) away from the base of the hills on sol 146 (May 31, 2004).
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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"Columbia" Boulders and Outcrop
This image from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a hillside portion of the "Columbia Hills." Scientists are interested in investigating the large boulders and rock outcrop seen on the hillside, as they may reveal clues about how these hills formed. This image was taken approximately 0.4 kilometers (0.25 miles) away from the base of the hills on sol 146 (May 31, 2004).
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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A Buried Crater?
This regional overhead view compares the crater nicknamed "Thira" on the top right with a crater on the bottom left that is buried by possible lava or debris flows. Thira Crater seems to have formed more recently due to its defined edges and features. The other crater exhibits edges that appear to have been buried. The "Columbia Hills" are seen to the left of Thira Crater for context. The blurriness in the lower right portion of this image is a result of missing data. This image was taken by the thermal emission imaging system on NASA's orbiting Mars Odyssey.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/ASU
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The Processes of "Columbia"
This image of the "Columbia Hills" region shows features that hint at various formation processes. To the left, yellow and white lines denote possible paths of debris flows or lava flow along the base of the hills. A series of terraces are observed to the right, signaling the existence of layered rocks that imply different degrees of erosion. This image was taken by the camera on NASA's orbiting Mars Global Surveyor.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/MSSS
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Browse Image (51 kB) |
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Hillside Boulders
This image from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a hillside portion of the "Columbia Hills." Scientists are interested in investigating the large boulders seen scattered on the hillside, as they may reveal clues about how these hills formed. This image was taken approximately 0.4 kilometers (0.25 miles) away from the base of the hills on sol 146 (May 31, 2004).
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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Browse Image (74 kB) |
Large (439 kB)
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"Columbia" Boulders and Outcrop
This image from the panoramic camera on NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows a hillside portion of the "Columbia Hills." Scientists are interested in investigating the large boulders and rock outcrop seen on the hillside, as they may reveal clues about how these hills formed. This image was taken approximately 0.4 kilometers (0.25 miles) away from the base of the hills on sol 146 (May 31, 2004).
Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell
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Browse Image (77 kB) |
Large (476 kB)
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A Buried Crater?
This regional overhead view compares the crater nicknamed "Thira" on the top right with a crater on the bottom left that is buried by possible lava or debris flows. Thira Crater seems to have formed more recently due to its defined edges and features. The other crater exhibits edges that appear to have been buried. The "Columbia Hills" are seen to the left of Thira Crater for context. The blurriness in the lower right portion of this image is a result of missing data. This image was taken by the thermal emission imaging system on NASA's orbiting Mars Odyssey.
Image credit: NASA/JPL/ASU
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Lahontan Crater Looms
This cylindrical-projection 120-degree image mosaic was created from three navigation camera images that NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 120 (May 5, 2004). The image highlights a crater approximately 70 meters (230 feet) in diameter that scientists have informally named "Lahontan." This image also reveals a wind-ripple feature in the foreground and a distant look at the Columbia Hills on the Horizon, Spirit's planned final destination.
Image credit: NASA/JPL
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Lahontan Crater Looms
This cylindrical-projection 120-degree image mosaic was created from three navigation camera images that NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover Spirit acquired on sol 120 (May 5, 2004). The image highlights a crater approximately 70 meters (230 feet) in diameter that scientists have informally named "Lahontan." This image also reveals a wind-ripple feature in the foreground and a distant look at the Columbia Hills on the Horizon, Spirit's planned final destination.
Image credit: NASA/JPL
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